Enforcing Criminality: Application of the Criminal Tribes Acts in India

The colonial administrators in India passed draconian acts to notify, register, and restrict the movement of criminal tribes. The Criminal Tribes Act of 1924 was amended by Act I of 1947, but the shadow of the act still haunts several communities in Independent India.

Format: Hardback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 18 December 2023
Publisher: Manohar Publishers and Distributors

India faced a significant challenge during the colonial era with the enactment of draconian acts to notify, register, and restrict the movement of criminal tribes. The first legislation aimed at addressing these communities was the Act XXVII, passed in 1871. However, the Police Commission of 1902-3 criticized the working of the Act and a fresh Act III of 1911 was enacted. Over time, numerous amendments were made to the original Criminal Tribes Act, leading to the passage of Act I of 1947, which consolidated the provisions of various earlier Acts. Despite these efforts, the Criminal Tribes Act continued to haunt several communities in Independent India. In 1952, the government finally repealed the Act, but the shadow of its legacy remains. Many of the criminal tribes were let free from the provisions of the criminal tribes acts of 1871, 1911, 1924, and 1947, but the impact of these laws continues to be felt.

Weight: 752g
Dimension: 147 x 226 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789390729999